IT is interesting that, now that the Grand National weights have been published, trainers are discarding bushels and fearlessly shining lights all over the place. Remember, not only is the Grand National unique in that the British handicapper has a free hand in framing the weights and talking about them, it is also unusual in that a horse who wins after the weights have been framed is not subject to a penalty. The weights are cast in cement boots.

A few points worth noting then. For starters, horses who have run poorly since the weights were published, and who have consequently been dropped a couple of pounds by the handicapper – including Corrin Wood, Vics Canvas and Bally Beaufort – will be poorly-in should they get in and should they take their chance in the Grand National.

But the converse is also true. Improvers are well-in. Bishops Road won the Grand National Trial at Haydock last Saturday and has been raised 10lb to a mark of 154 as a result, but he will get to race in the National off his old weight of 144, so he will be 10lb well-in.

Silviniaco Conti has been raised 5lb by the handicapper for his Ascot Chase win to a mark of 169, but he will get to race in the National off his originally allocated rating of 163, which was 1lb lower than his official rating at the time. So, instead of being 1lb well-in, he will be 6lb well-in.

Unioniste and Boston Bob have both won since. Neither horse has been raised by the handicapper, so neither will be well-in in the National, but at least you know that they go into the race in good form.

Also, Saint Are won the Veterans’ Handicap Chase at Doncaster on Wednesday, and he is surely in for a little rise, so Tom George’s horse should be well-in for the National too. Nobody could begrudge Tom George’s horse a National win, incidentally, given that he was beaten last year by a horse who was racing off a mark that was 5lb lower than his official mark on the day that the weights were published.